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Is southern Nevada fighting the gang problem all wrong?
News 3
July 19, 2007

A new report says more police patrols, more prisons, and stiffer penalties have not stopped gang violence. The Justice Policy Institute, which issued the report, says heavy handed suppression tactics can actually make matters worse.

The report urges law enforcement to take a closer look at how it deals with gangs. It recommends cities provide more counseling, community based programs, and jobs for young people.

The executive director of the Nevada Association of Latin Americans agrees with the report's recommendations. Teri De La Torre worked with young gang members when she was in charge of the Gang Task Force in San Jose, California.

"Many of them resort to their gang members or their gang family for resources... food, shelter, that kind of thing, if they don't have that ability at their own environment with their own parents, and many of them are coming from single parent homes," De La Torre said.

The Justice Policy Institute describes itself as a non-profit research and public policy group dedicated to ending society's reliance on incarceration.